Knockdown or foldable box.



E. L. WALKER.

KNOGKDOWN OR FOLDABLE BOX.-

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.17, 1906.

91 7,384., Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

ens x i ENOSL. WALKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

mmcmown 0R JEO LDABLE BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 6, 1909 Application filed March 17, 1906. Serial No. 306,586.

vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knockdown or Foldable Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates an improved knock-down or foldable box adapted for use in shipping berries, fruits or other products.

Generally stated, the object of my invention. is the provision of an improved construction and arrangement by which a highly satisfactory knock-down or foldable box can be produced and shipped at a comparatively small cost to the manufacturer and with-entire satisfaction to the user.

Special objects are the provision of an roved construction and arrangement wh dreby the box can be shipped in a er.- fectly flat condition consisting when fol ded of only three superimposed layers of thicknesses, and then expanded and adjusted into condition for use, without the necessity of employing any staples or tacks or other fastening devices for so doing; the provision lof-an improved construction and arrangement whereby the box when colla sed or knocked down and shipped in a at condition will not consist of separable parts or sections which might be separated, and disarranged during shipment and will be of minimum thickness, so that a large number can be secured in a bundle; and the provisionof certain details and features of TIEFIOVGDIGDIS tending to increase the general minimum the amount of material necessary the ends of t e blank are not lap ed.

ciency and serviceability of a box of this particular character, and to reduce to a therefor.

To the foregoing my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and'claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a box embodying the principles .of my invention. 2 is a 1. ig. 3 is a' detail section on line 3'-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4

shows the blank from which the sides of thebox are constructed. Fig. 5 shows the blank from which the bottom of the box is constructed.

As thus illustrated, my im roved berry box may be constructed of car board, wood veneer, or any other suitable sheet material. Looking down upon'the box, or looking at material provide and other useful ends,

sition.

] the bottom of the same, the she e thereof is octagonal in character. In ot er words, the box has eight side walls, the four alternate walls being relatively broad, while the four intermediate or corner walls are relatively narrow. These eight walls are rovidedby the blank shown in Fig. 4, w ich consists of a stri of veneering or other with transverse score lines 1, 2, 3', 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The narrow side walls 9 and 10 of this blank are rovided with transverse slots 11 and 12 w ich are located near the'bottom edge of the said blank A.

In Fig. 5 the blank B has a bottom portion '13 and a side ortion 14 which-are separated from each ot er by a score line 15. It will be seen that the portion 13 has rounded corners 16 at one end, and flat or straight corners 17 at the other end, the portion 14 being relatively narrow.

The blank A is first folded and its end portions 18 and 19 brought together edge to edge, and in the same plane. After this, the portion 14 is laid flatwise upon the inner surfaces of the two portions 18 and 19, and the three portions then secured together by long staples or wire fastening devices 20. The portion 14 forms a stay for holding the meeting portions 18 and 19 together. This leaves the bottom portion 13 in condition to be swung in either direction until its corners V It will be understood that ,t e material will give or spring sufficiently to allow. the bottom wall to be sprung into and out of po- In this way, the two portions of the bottom wall can be folded flat upon themselves, and the side walls of the box will the collapse and assume a flat condition. The box is then in a perfectly flat and good condition for shipment. When received by the user, it only necessary to take each box and spring its bottom into place, causing the cor-, ners to engage the slots in the sides of the box. No tacks, staples or nther fastening devices are necessar for securing the parts together after the ottom is -sprung into place; In .this way the user has nothing to box cannot become separated or do but unfold each box and spring its parts into place. In 'otherwords, the tacking or stapling is all done in thefactory. During shipment, the bottom and sidearts of the i'sarrangedi It will be seen that the slots 11 narrow and straight, so that the corners 16 rial and reduces the'cost of freight that results from the of the bottom are prevented from rising when the box is opened up.'

in this way the bottom is secured in place and serves to brace the Whole box.

' As the end edges of the sides are butted together, rather than overlapped, the box will fold into three thicknesses, if the bottom is pushed down, thus making it ossible to get a large number in one bund e-that is to say, more than would be the case if the box foldedinto four or more thicknesses. If the bottom is pushed u in the box, then onlyfour thicknesses be formed when the box is folded, which is less than heretofore. Also, this construction saves mateprod uction, as we as the cost of shi ment. In the manu factureof large num ers-of suchi'boxes, a saving of a fraction of an inch of material per box is very important. The saving in together of the boxes is also important. I accomplish both of these savings, in the manner stated. Furthermore, I use only two staples for securin these staples being para leland arranged to span the abutting end edges of the flexible s de walls. This means, of course, that the box can be stapled by one operation of a stapling machine, and that a minimum I amount of wire will be 'used for this purpose. Also, these sta les cross the edges of the veneer, and ho d the same in place, thus givin a box which is always smooth on the outside whether folded or open.

. What I claim as my invention is:

1. A folding box comprisin flexibly connected sides, of suitable length to providea rectangular box adapted to fold flat with only three thicknesses of the material of the box superimposed upon each other, corner portions 21, 22, 23, 24 of equal width intermediate said sides, one of said sides formed by the two rectangular end portions 18 and '19, said corner portions 21 and 22 being provided with narrow horizontal slots 11 and 12, a bottom 13 provided with rounded corners 16 and 16 adapted to be pressed down to engage said slots,"an u wardly extending rectangular portion 14 exibly connected with said bottom, and wide staples 20 inserted through the said portions 14, 18, 19 to hold the same together,'with the end edges of the portions 18 and 19 in the same vertical plane, said portion -14 joint between the abuttingedges of the por- .tions 18 and 19 from the bottom 13 to the and 12 are closer packingv the box together, I

covering the said abutting edges uncovered below the said bottom, and said staples straddling the said :jo'int, substantially as shown and described.

2. A folding box com rising a flexible strilp having the ends 1; ereof butted toget er to provide side walls for the box, and a folding bottom. having one end ortion turned up and secured over the said abutting edges and the other end free, Whereb the bottom and sides form only three thicknesses when the box is folded one way, and only four when folded the other way, as set forth. 3. A folding box comprising flexibly connected sides free from overla ping portions, and a folding bottom provirfied with a free end portion, and having the other end portion thereof turned up to form only a two fold thickness with one entire side of the box, as set forth.

'4. A folding box comprising a' flexible strip having the ends thereof butted together to rovide sides for the box, a reinforce bac of said abutting edges, two parallel staplesdisposed horizontall one above the other ands anning the said abutting edges --to secure t e same to the reinforce, and a folding bottom having one end free and the other end flexibly connected with said reinforce,'a's set forth.

5. A folding box nected sides, of rectangular box,

comprising flexibly consuitable length to provide a only four thicknesses of the material of the box superimposed upon each other, corner portions 21, 22, 23, 24 of equal width intermediate said sides, one of said sides formed by the two rectangular end portions 18 and 19, said corner portions 21 and 22 being pro vided with narrow horizontal slots 11 and 1.2, a bottom 13 provided with rounded corners 16 and 16 adapted to be pressed down to engage said slots, an upwardly, extending'rectangular portion 14 flexibly con nected with said bottom, and wide staples 20 inserted through the said portions 14, 18, 19 to hold the same together, with the end edges of the portions 18 and 19 in the same vertical lane, said portion 14 covering the joint between the abutting edges of theportions 18 and 19fr0m the bottom 13 to the upper edges. of said portions, but leaving the said abutting edges uncovered below the said bottom, and said staples straddling the said joint, substantially as shown and described. Signed by me at Cape Girardeau, Mo., this 13th day of March, 1906.

.nNos L. WALKER.

Witnesses:

MARTIN G. BENDER, Gus B, ENGELMANN.

adapted to fold flat with It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 917,384, granted April 6, 1909,

upon the application of Enos L. Walker, of St. Louis, Missouri, for an improvement in Kn0ck down or Foldable Boxesf an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 22, page 1, the word of, second occurrence,

should read or; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this'correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and-s'eaied this 18th day of May, A. D, 1909.

[SEAL] C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patent 

